


6 months into Twilight

by thezonefic



Category: NCIS, Stargate SG-1, crossover - Fandom
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Complete, Explicit Language, M/M, references to major character death (NCIS)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-28
Updated: 2011-04-28
Packaged: 2017-10-18 18:24:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/191877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thezonefic/pseuds/thezonefic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>6 months after the events of Twilight, Gibbs and his team are hunting Ari, and an old friend of Gibbs becomes involved in the periphery of the hunt. Cross over with Stargate SG 1.</p>
            </blockquote>





	6 months into Twilight

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for season 2 finale of NCIS Twilight, that still count but other background on some characters were made moote by revelations on season 3.
> 
> Notes: This fic’s the fic that just wouldn’t let me go; it damn near wrote itself at the cost of a number of other things I was desperately trying to get finished; it can be thought of as loosely connected to Trial under Fire.
> 
> Acknowledgments: My beta, Kaiiz, just awesome. NCIS has quickly become the newest obsession in my life, there is just something about the characters that grabs at me. And to add insult the crossover rabbits love it too.

Written: June 2005.

“You still following this loser around, Ferretti? After all these years? You’d think that the Air Force could find you a better gig than this guy after all the time you’ve put in,” Gibbs remarked as he quietly entered the Director’s conference room unnoticed by the three Air Force officers speaking quietly with Morrow.

Jumping quickly to his feet at the sound of a well remembered voice, the closest of the three Air Force personnel stood and turned to Gibbs as he easily strode towards the four men. “Gunny, well I’ll be seriously fucked. What’s it been since the last time we ran across your sorry ass; around 10 years wasn’t it?” Colonel Ferretti asked, smiling brightly as Gibbs moved easily closer to where the four were seated around the smaller of the two conference tables in the room. “Little under dressed for the occasion Gunny?”

“Nope, not at all,” Gibbs replied, his face softening for a moment. “Nice birds Lou, about time you got them. Air Force just doesn’t seem to appreciate the talent they have in you in spite of some the shit O’Neill’s got you into, or maybe despite it.”

“Ah they appreciate me alright Gunny. In fact they appreciate me real well,” Ferretti replied, laughing. “The birds are just the icing on the cake. Besides, you know me. I can find plenty of shit to get into on my own, without the General’s help.”

“Jack,” Gibbs stated, simply greeting the second Air Force officer as he stood, both men embracing tightly. Gibbs ignored the inquiring looks from his own Director and the third Air Force Officer still seated. “Brigadier Jack? Nice……. Flyboy. You can, however, forget any ideas of a salute O’Neill, stars or no.”

“Like Lou just asked………a little out of uniform aren’t you Gunny?” O’Neill grinned as he reseated himself. Brown eyes easily meeting jovial blue.

“Nope not at all, got out after Bosnia. Had enough Jack, had enough time in on shit details. I’d been assigned to NCIS as TDY for a number of years, they just took the time I’d put in as adjunct and presto I had ten years in service when I came over full time. Senior Special Agent now, got my own team to terrorize into good field agents.”

“Can’t say I blame you ‘Thro. The Corps did send you on some serious shit jobs, and Bosnia had to be the worst of the lot,” O’Neill smiled easily as he sat back down again. NCIS huh? Cop once always.”

“Going to introduce us Jack?” the third Air Force officer asked, as Gibbs mentally categorized him; pushing retirement, about 5’10” balding, the affable appearing type, which in Gibbs’ books made him a hard ass. That bore watching carefully.

Moving slightly in his seat the older officer met Gibbs’ steely assessing blue gaze, not flinching as he was quickly observed. “Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, like I told the Flyboy with stars here, senior field operative. General?”

“’Thro, this is Major General George Hammond, on special presidential assignment and my boss,” O’Neill presented the older man as Gibbs politely extended his hand.

“'Thro?” Director Morrow asked, curiosity winning out as Gibbs seated himself.

“Yes Sir, ‘Thro is strictly O’Neill’s work,” Gibbs replied, smirking. “Been trying to break him of it, but you know some of these flyboy’s Sir, little slow on the uptake….must mix that gas a little thin.”

“Yeah well, even Jethro is too hillbilly for me, and we got over the last names thing after that last dust up we took part in. What was it, Bangkok?” O’Neill laughed.

“Nope Jack, Bangkok was where those Swabbies busted your ass up really well. It was in that hole in the wall bar in Caracas in ’84, when we all puked in that rusted out fountain. That was some really foul tequila you got us and the Polizia wanted to bust all of us for drunk and disorderly. Remember Admiral Johnson saved our asses from the stockade?” Gibbs reminded. “Then chewed us new ones even before we had a chance to hit the head the next morning.”

“Yeah that’s right, it was that rot gut tequila, and you ended up almost being out of uniform ‘cause you lost your drawers in that whore house.”

“Same place you got that case of clap Jack. I only lost my underwear.”

"Did not,” O’Neill snorted.

“Did too, saw the sick call report myself Jack. Those Naval corpsmen are very accurate with their documentation, especially as it was an interservice sick call. Made sure I got a copy of it, thought it might come in handy one day,” Gibbs laughed as he settled in.

“I’ll give you blackmail Jarhead,” O’Neill grumbled good naturedly, knowing in truth that Gibbs had made the Naval sick call report disappear. Pleasant memories of their occasional trysts as lovers surfaced for an instant, as the other four men laughed heartily at his expense.

Turning slightly Gibbs looked at Morrow, an eyebrow raised. “Go for it Jethro," the Director said. "Much as I’m enjoying your reunion with General O’Neill, the only way we’re going to find out what they’re doing here is to ask them.”

“Jack?” Gibbs inquired as he pulled closer his legal pad with pen in hand.

“We’re looking for someone, gentleman,” Hammond replied instead. “One of our people, a civilian consultant, is missing. He disappeared in DC two days ago and witnesses reported that he was taken by two men in suits. We’ve been to the FBI, NID, NAS, CIA and everyone else that might have possibly been involved. NCIS, Director Morrow, is the last agency that we’ve visited, and frankly we’re at a loss at where else to look.”

“Looked in all the right places and no go huh? What was your civilian doing that someone could have grabbed him so easily? Little bit of a security fuck up Jack?”

“Can’t tell you a lot ‘Thro, he’s involved in 'eyes only' type of stuff. What he was doing in general is on a need-to-know basis, and sorry you don’t need to know it even if we could clear it. Suffice to say, he was too easily snatched, which means real pros did it and he hasn’t been seen or heard from since. What he was here for in DC was doing the Smithsonian ancient languages department a really big favor. Among other things Daniel has a PhD in Archeology and Linguistics, specializing in ancient languages.”

“Any ransom or other demands?” Gibbs asked, jotting down some things on his pad.

“No, nothing at all. Starting to piss me off there ‘Thro, like he disappeared off the face of the planet.” O’Neill muttered quickly under his breath, ‘We even looked in a bunch of off world places for him and nobody knows a thing.’

“Daniel’s one of mine,” O’Neill continued. “And you know how I feel about looking after my people, my team. Daniel even more so since he’s a civilian. Even though he’s been with us for a while and can look after himself if he has too, he’s still one of mine. My responsibility,” O’Neill enunciated, clearly anger and frustration easily noted in his voice.

“Again Jack, what was he doing for you?” Gibbs asked, eyes gone icy blue and meeting the deep brown of his old friend, the NCIS senior operative suddenly there.

"You know something ‘Thro?”

“Sir?” Gibbs asked, turning to Director Morrow.

“Your show Jethro,” Morrow replied.

“What do you know Gibbs?” O’Neill asked, half raising from his seat. All pretense of friendship was gone just that fast, his special ops persona front and center, meeting the NCIS agent face to face. “Where is he?”

“Interrogation room 3,” Gibbs replied, his own congeniality gone just as fast, his hands firmly placed onto the table.

“What the fuck?” O’Neill surged to his feet, Ferretti with him, both men freezing at the sound of safety’s being released on guns behind them.

“Sit down Jack,” Gibbs replied softly. “What does Daniel Jackson do for you? I want answers.”

“Fuck you Gibbs,” O’Neill snarled, his face flushing with anger. “He’d better be totally unharmed, if he’s not………….”

“Jethro?” Director Morrow asked.

“Necessary Sir, you don’t know what O’Neill is capable of. I do, and until I get my answers,” Gibbs replied, his gazed locked with O’Neill’s. “DiNozzo and McGee stay with guns drawn.”

Reaching for his cell phone, Gibbs pushed one button, not losing eye contact with the furious Air Force General, his, he now felt, former friend as well as totally former occasional lover. “Abs bring up scene pictures on the view screen in the Director’s conference room,” he ordered briskly.

Turning, the three Air Force officers noted the clear surveillance pictures of Daniel Jackson being embraced by an obviously Middle Eastern man in a very familiar looking hug. “His name is Ari Haswari; 18 months ago we got fed a line of bull shit from the Bureau that he was a deep Mossad operative working to infiltrate Al Qaeda. Turns out the spooks, the Bureau and Mossad fucked up big time, he was no double agent, he was the real thing. Nice ordinary garden variety terrorist. These were taken Tuesday on the patio of L’Argent, a bistro that’s frequented by lots of trendy types in DC. The guy Ari’s meeting is your Doctor Jackson, General,” Gibbs recited, his voice tight and emotionless, all NCIS field operative.

“Abs, next group,” Gibbs called out, confident that the lab tech had activated the internal voice link.

“Take a close look General,” he ordered as the pictures he saw almost nightly in his sleep, in his nightmares, and soothed his lover through for the last 6 months appeared in 52 inch full coloured splendor in front of them. “A real close look. Her name was Special Agent Katelyn Todd, the bullet in her forehead was put there courtesy of one Ari Haswari, that same Ari Haswari that your Dr. Daniel Jackson met for fucking coffee General O’Neill. Jackson might be one of yours, but Todd was one of mine. And I’m getting the fucker that assassinated her. Fucking cold bloodedly murdered her and two other young naval officers. They were here to go after a soft target, make a big 9-11 type of splash. The target was a carrier group coming home after a 6 month long deployment. They stole a prototype missile and the new software that ran it that the R& D lab was developing. Turned it into a fucking dirty bomb General. They were going to drop in on the pier with the families that were meeting their boys as they came home. We dropped it into the water just before it hit its target, un-detonated. Ari dropped Kate from a building 1500 meters away so he’d have some brownie points for blowing his other mission. You’ll get Jackson back after I get answers O’Neill, and not before. President isn’t going to interfere for you in this, no matter how much more good-will you have there, than I ever will. The blast in Bali, the train explosion in Spain, and the gassing in Athens and primarily 9-11 trump you for the moment.”

“You hurt him Gibbs, and nothing will stop me,” O’Neill grounded out.

“Don’t give a fuck about your threats O’Neill, Ari’s mine and nothing and no one stands in my way until he’s taken down.” The two men glared angrily at each other, threat and tension thick in the room.

“Special Agent Gibbs, may we see Dr. Jackson?” Hammond inquired.

“No, not until the interview’s done General. You’ll understand the necessity of the keeping the subject incommunicado,” Gibbs replied.

“Gunny,” Ferretti began, looking earnestly at O’Neill, “Jack can convince him to roll on this guy better than any techniques you might try. And this way you get your information that much sooner without resorting to hurting anyone, we get our Dr. J back and nobody ends up ruining years of friendship.”

“Lou,” O’Neill began, his voice murderously angry.

“He’s doing his job Jack, just the same as you would do in his shoes. If Dr. J knows anything that might help them get this guy, then you need to convince him to speak up.”

Sighing heavily, Jack dropped back into his chair, a measure of his anger diffused at the truth of Ferretti’s words. “You’re going to have to let me speak to him myself, Gibbs. He’s going to need to know why he’s going to have to roll on someone that he obviously thought he knew well. Daniel won’t betray a friend unless he’s got a very good reason to. That means I need time with him, alone and no surveillance,” O’Neill said, his temper continuing to settle as he mulled over Ferretti’s common sense approach, the need to see to the safety of his lover suddenly paramount in his thoughts.

“No way O’Neill, only way you get to see him is with me and DiNozzo there at all times. You leave all of your armor with the us first, and you’re cuffed.”

“Are you fucking insane Gibbs? There’s no way you’re going to cuff me.”

“Then no visit O’Neill. I don’t trust you and I don’t know Jackson, and foremost I’m not putting any of my people at risk from you. I’ll kill you if I have to……,” Gibbs broke with a regretful expression easily noted on his face.

“ Fuck Gibbs. Agreed. Lou, why don’t you and George go back to the hotel? Carter and Murray should be getting there by 1700. I’ll stay with Daniel until they’re done here with him. It shouldn’t take long to convince Daniel to talk, we’ll meet up with all of you afterwards,” O’Neill said.

 

===============================================================

 

“Well, what the fuck are you waiting for Gibbs? Weapons are off, cuff me,” O’Neill barked, his sidearm, a switch blade and a secondary smaller hand gun placed on the table with ill concealed annoyed thumps.

“DiNozzo,” Gibbs pointed, drawing his own service weapon and trained squarely on O’Neill.

Easily cuffing the other man DiNozzo nodded at Gibbs, “Done boss. Situation 3 in the hallways?”

“Do it. Let’s go General, time to see your friend,” Gibbs said as he led away the cuffed O’Neill, DiNozzo leading the way and speaking quietly into his cellphone. Reaching the elevators Tony pressed the down button, O’Neill quietly seething.

“He get seen to?” Gibbs asked.

“Yeah, Ducky saw him. Said it was allergies, and gave him a shot of something. Guy said he felt a whole lot better, asked Ducky if he could write it down for him, so that he could get it to his own Doc; said it was better than the stuff she gave him,” Tony replied, his usual glib smirk very much in evidence.

“Let me guess, Daniel was sneezing?” O’Neill interjected, his mood greatly improved by the apparent attention that the NCIS agents had given to his Daniel. “By the way, what the hell is a Ducky?”

“Our M.E.,” Gibbs replied shortly, noting O’Neill rapidly improving demeanor.

“Ducky, ‘Thro?”

“Yeah Ducky, O’Neill.”

“Boss,” Tony gently reproved. “His name is Donald Mallard………..so naturally."

“Ducky, sweet,” O’Neill laughed. “Daniel is infamous, he sneezes at damn near everything……….it’s a geek thing.”

“Yeah well, what ever Ducky gave him helped General,” Tony said as he steadied the cuffed man into the elevator.

“O’Neill will do.”

“DiNozzo, Anthony DiNozzo. Glad to meet you General O’Neill, even if the circumstances are shit. Your Dr. Jackson seems like a nice guy, you just need to convince him to roll on Ari. That’s all we’re interested in really,” Tony smiled earnestly.

“He’s good ‘Thro, you’ve trained him well. Yours?” he asked.

“None of your fucking business, O’Neill. DiNozzo don’t let the affable Flyboy fool you, O’Neill’s special ops. He can easily kill you with a ball point pen as offer you a beer and pizza.”

“Know that Boss, I’m not that stupid, figured he had to be……….. And yes General, I’m his, just as Dr. Jackson is yours. The two of you are going to have to have a long talk after both of you have had a chance to cool down. Think I might take Dr. Jackson out for a couple of beers while you two work it out Boss.”

“DiNozzo,” the two men chorused.

“Not as stupid as you take me for sometimes Boss, two of you have history and serious fucking sparkage. Bet the two of you were hell in bed together, a challenge as to who’s on top each time; wouldn’t have minded seeing it at one time before us ……………. Don’t loose him as a friend Jethro, looks like he’d be a good one to have.”

“Tony?”

“Yeah Boss?” Tony laughed as Gibbs easily reached over and gently cuffed the back of his head. “Neither of us came into this without history… That part of this one’s over, that much is easy to see. Not going to be stupid over it and you never know when we might need friends, good friends when our asses are up against a wall.”

“DiNozzo, what the hell are you spouting?” O’Neill asked.

Turning fully to face O’Neill, DiNozzo smiled , his gut telling him clearly this was one of the good guys. “I wasn’t asking General, and you aren’t telling. Just don’t let the looks fool you, there is a brain behind these green eyes,” he winked cheekily. “Bad enough he thinks I’m not overly bright,” he said, pointing to Gibbs. “Sometimes I think the only reason he hired me was to get the chance to blow me.”

Gasping, Gibbs choked as O’Neill heartily began to laugh, tears streaming down his face. “Shit ‘Thro, you deserve this one. He’s got you by the balls already. A very big improvement on the redheads, looks like you finally got it right.”

“Shut up O’Neill,” Gibbs wheezed, helping up the still laughing O’Neill up from his knees, his face flushed deeply as Tony happily smirked at the two older men.

“Hey, one of you guys want to do the face wipe thing? My hands aren’t available,” O’Neill complained as he caught his breath, muscles aching from the laughter at Gibbs’ expense.

“Sure thing General,” Tony offered, a soft linen handkerchief appearing as if by magic in his hand.

“Thanks kid. You’re good, very good DiNozzo, and you’ll be good for him,” O’Neill began affably, then effortlessly changed his demeanor, chocolate brown eyes catching the emerald of DiNozzo’s and holding them with the implicit threat. “Hurt him, fuck around on him without his consent and you’ll be seeing me in not a very pleasant light, Special Agent DiNozzo. Got it?”

Hitting the emergency stop button of the elevator, Gibbs turned to O’Neill, “Fuck off Jack, not 10 minutes ago you were willing to kill me yourself.”

“That’s different ‘Thro, that’s about Daniel. This is about you and him, making sure that he knows his boundaries.”

“Isn’t any of your business O’Neill,” Gibbs groused back. “His and mine, only his and mine. Remember Jack, you were the one who ended our buddy fucks, not me.”

“Oh it is my business in more ways than one. Beirut and Al Bashwari being only two of them ‘Thro. Kid you were right, him and I have history, lots of it and fucking each other isn’t all of it. I covered his six in Beirut, probably before you were born, and he saved my ass literarily in Iraq. I’ve got an invested interest in one Leroy Jethro Gibbs, so you take care of him DiNozzo,” O’Neill said, his gazed locked with the deep blue eyes of his former lover. “You take good care of this jerk and make sure when you take out this Haswari character you cover his six and bring him home in one piece. You need help to do that and I’ll leave you a number to reach me. If I can’t make it, I’ll send someone very competent instead.”

“No problem General,” Tony replied as he restarted the elevator’s interrupted journey, “I intend to for as long as he lets me, then I’ll just stalk him like one of his exes did ‘til he takes me back.”

Reaching Interrogation room 3, O’Neill noted the three massive stone-faced marines that stood heavily armed outside of the closed door. “You gonna take these bracelets off of me yet Gibbs?”

“No,” Gibbs replied shortly as the door opened in response to his nod. “After you General.”

“Ah sorry First Sergeant, can’t return the salute, the cuffs kind of interfere with that sort of thing,” O’Neill joked as he passed the stone faced saluting guards. “Gibbs doesn’t trust me, not to hurt him for this stunt.”

“Jack?” Daniel cried, jumping as he hurried to O’Neill’s side and pulled him into a tight hug. “What’s going on? You’re handcuffed? Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt did you?”

“ I’m okay Daniel and nobody got hurt, not for lack or wanting on my part. Gibbs got the upper hand before I even knew what was coming down. Special Agent Gibbs has some serious trust issues going on Daniel. Are you okay? Have they been treating you alright?” O’Neill asked anxiously as he closely examined his lover’s features for any hint of abuse, relaxing slightly as all he found was a building Daniel Jackson righteous indignation hissy fit.

“I’m fine Jack, just getting tired of sitting around here because these people have some stupid ideas stuck in their heads,” Daniel replied, his rising level of indignation very obvious to both Gibbs and DiNozzo.

“Then let’s end this Danny, answer their questions to the best of your knowledge, give them what ever you might have on Haswari and we can blow this pop stand. Besides, I could really use some dinner, my stomach’s still on Colorado time and we missed lunch.”

“Jack.”

“Just answer the questions Danny, they’re on the level,” O’Neill replied, gently bumping Daniel with his shoulder and assessing Daniel closely, his face gentling as he met Daniel's tentative smile. “Please Daniel.”

“Jack,” Daniel began.

“He needs the reasons ‘Thro, show him,” O’Neill turned to the NCIS agents, knowing that Daniel would not speak without the evidence plainly visible to him. “Give him that and he’ll answer with all the information he knows. Won’t you Danny?”

“Not until they un-cuff you Jack,” Daniel stated, his tone rising with indignation again as he noted the restraints holding back his lover’s expressive hands. His blue eyes flashed with anger as he met the amused green eyed look of the second NCIS agent, a man he’d previously not seen.

“Boss?” DiNozzo asked, an eyebrow arched upwards.

“Go DiNozzo,” Gibbs replied as, once again, he drew his service weapon.

“If you don’t mind General?” DiNozzo asked as he turned O’Neill to face the other way.

“Don’t move Dr. Jackson,” Gibbs warned as the archeologist shifted his stance minutely. “Not only will I put a bullet into you, I’ll kill O’Neill first.”

Bristling angrily, Daniel deliberately relaxed his stance, “That’s not how you’re going to get a lot of co-operation from me, Special Agent Gibbs.”

“’Thro, quit fucking around with him and ask your questions. Daniel just sit down,” O’Neill grumbled as he rubbed at the red markings on his wrists. “And you complain I’ve got this alpha male pissing contest thing down to a fine art," he snarked at his lover. "Riiighttt. Now is not the time to fuck with the man Daniel, it’s very personal for them. As personal as it can be.’

“Don’t be an ass, how else am I supposed to be? Not exactly our usual type of day here Jack, even for us. They had you cuffed, he just threatened to kill you and this is someone you know on what looks to be a first name basis. People that usually want to kill us don’t wait long enough to know our first names,” Daniel argued. “He’s still got a gun on you. This isn’t some kind of stupid military one-upmanship, or messed up first contact situation. Of course I’m going to get upset over this. And Special Agent Gibbs, the angrier I get the less likely I will be to co-operate.”

“Daniel calm down, I already threatened to kill him if he’d hurt you just before we came in. Ultimately Jethro is doing his job, just like we do ours. He needs what you might have on Haswari to complete his mission. So just give the man the answers he wants so we can get the hell out of here. Carter and T are due in at about 1700 and I really don’t want to have to explain to either of them about what the hell has gone on this afternoon. Carter’s going to rag my ass enough as it is, and T will just stoically be disappointed, and I’m not in the mood for it. I told you, that you needed SF detail, but no you have to go to DC on your own. ‘It will be fine Jack, it’s only Washington.' Famous last fucking words.”

All four men turned as the door slowly opened, the scent of freshly brewed coffee wafting in. “Coffee, just like you ordered Boss,” McGee offered as he and one of the burly marine guards set down the Star Bucks take-out trays. “The cups are all marked Boss. I went ahead and got Abby two Big Gulps, she was cursing up a blue streak in the lab, seems like someone is trying to get into our system.”

“Oops, sounds like Carter and T got in a little earlier than they were supposed to,” O’Neill whispered to Daniel.

“Abs got it covered?” Gibbs asked as he savored a large sip of his coffee. “Margi’s on over at the coffee shop isn’t she?”

“Yeah Boss, told her one of the coffees was for you. She said she’d fix you up just right. Hope you like that new Arabica blend Tony, Margi said it was really close to that other one you liked, that one that they just can’t get anymore.”

“Nice Probie, real nice, thanks,” DiNozzo replied after a small tentative sip. “Grab yourself cups before Gibbs finishes his, otherwise you may not get any.” Tony laughed as Gibbs looked up from his coffee, that patented ‘you’re so in deep shit DiNozzo' look very much in evidence.

 

“Get upstairs to Abby, McGee. It’s probably O’Neill’s people trying to get into the system. Tell her what ever she needs to do, do it, preferably in as messy a way as she can.”

“Okay Boss. Ducky should be here soon too, said he wanted to check on Dr. Jackson again, make sure what he gave him is still working,” McGee said as he started towards the door. “Anything else Boss?”

“No, nothing else right now, just tell Abs to have the surveillance photos ready when I call for them,” Gibbs ordered placidly, enjoying his coffee.

Sitting down heavily beside O’Neill, Daniel Jackson’s face easily revealed his confusion at O’Neill's easy, relaxed posture in the chair next to him, sipping a tall Star Bucks. Shaking his head Daniel gingerly opened the coffee Jack had left for him. “I just don’t understand,” he muttered.

“You gonna put that thing away ‘Thro? You’re upsetting Daniel. Once he passes upset it gets to pissy, and you really don’t want to see a pissy Daniel Jackson. He’ll not only kick your ass, he’ll kick mine too just because he’s pissed off, and then he’ll get mad,” O’Neill stated as he turned his attention to Gibbs.

Raising an eyebrow at O’Neill, Gibbs continued his enjoyment of his coffee. “Don’t think so Jack, unless you guarantee his behavior. This is too important for me to fuck around. I need what he knows, all of it; no hiding, no half truths and no stupid self sacrifice. Haswari, all of it Dr. Jackson, every word, every nuance, everything.”

“Spill it Danny.”

“Jack!!!!”

“They’ve got reasons Daniel, good ones,” O’Neill reached out for a gentle caress to his lover’s cheek. “Start your show Jethro, I’d hoped that all I’d have to do is ask, but he  
always needs to know all of the whys, always needs to know more. Sometimes I do wonder Daniel…………. My word Gibbs, put the gun away, neither you nor any of your people are in any danger from us. If you let me have a phone for a minute, I’ll call off what ever George may have okayed, not knowing you. After all, when he and Lou left I was still pretty pissed off at you.”

“DiNozzo,” Gibbs indicated as he slowly returned his service weapon to its holster. Pulling his own phone out, Gibbs softly spoke into it, “Abs I need the sequence to run in Interrogation 3. If you would be so kind Dr. Jackson, these were taken Tuesday, when you and Ari met up at L’Argent. How’d he contact you?”

“Bossman?” Abby interrupted.

“What have you got for me Abs?” Gibbs asked.

“ I’ll start the pictures in a minute, but we’ve got a problem. Whoever is trying to get into our system is really starting to piss me off, they’re good but not good enough. Can I smoke ’em good?”

“Can you pinpoint who it is and where it’s coming from?” DiNozzo inquired. “Oh, and like that new flavor of slurpy Abby?”

“Yeah Tony, it's great. McGee said you told him to get me that one, thanks I really like it,” Abby’s smile came through in her voice. “It’s a DOD issue Win XP pro laptop. Air Force, mainframe server is in Colorado, Cheyenne Mountain. Isn’t that NORAD and all of that kind of stuff Bossman? Registered users are D. Jackson and J.C. O’Neill. Seems like this Jackson guy is the one who does most of the heavy duty work, O’Neill logs on to play 'PAC MAN.' Hinky, real hinky. Usual government encryptions with a few chinsy extras, lot’s of weird files. Whoever’s ‘puter this is gets off on some really dry old shit.”

“Blocked them Abs?”

“Yeah, no problem Bossman. Damn, you want to be like that do you?” Abby cursed. “They’re trying to get through the developer's back door Gibbs. I’m taking them down hard, NOW.”

“Don’t!” Daniel cried out.

Activating DiNozzo’s phone, O’Neill quickly called Samantha Carter’s cellphone. “Yeah Carter, O’Neill. Cut out the computer crap, you’re going to get Daniel’s laptop trashed,” he ordered. “Shit already? Carter you are in so much trouble. Daniel’s gonna kill you.”

 

Leaning back O’Neill listened intently to the conversation. “No we’re good. Tell George he needs to trust me a little more and he should listen to what Lou tells him. Nah he’s a good guy, just doing his job. You and T get in all right? Good. Nah we should be done in about an hour or so……… They’re about to start Daniel’s interview. What? Okay put him on…..Yeah T. No, everything’s settled. You want to what? I’ll try. What about dinner… Oh you and Carter have it set up. Yeahsureyabetcha……...You know I will T. We’ll see you guys in a little while. Oh T, tell George I said relax, everything’s alright, cleared up and will soon be fixed up……. Bye.” O’Neill hung up and wordlessly handed back DiNozzo’s phone.

“What about my laptop Jack?” Daniel inquired.

“Seems that Carter tried to get into the NCIS computer system, being nosy, and somebody didn’t care for the intrusion. Seems they have some kind of ‘killer program’ and she thinks that your ?mother board? got fried. That’s a direct quote,” O’Neill replied, shrugging.

“Jack………that’s all my translations and cataloguing for the Smithsonian, as well as that paper I was doing for the Linguist introduction seminar,” Daniel mourned as he finished his coffee.

“Yeah, and my PAC MAN scores. The ones on your laptop were the highest scores I’ve ever got, never could do half as well on the mainframe,” Jack agreed as he tenderly rubbed Daniel’s back.

“Jack,” Daniel hissed, jerking away. “Don’t…………Jack they’ll know. You could get court martialed, they’re NCIS agents, naval criminal investigators, and they could notify USAF. You know how the NID would love a reason to take us down.”

“’S okay Daniel, that’s about the last thing that we have to worry about in this case. ‘Thro isn’t going to bring charges, it’s not like he doesn’t already know,” O’Neill soothed.

“What?” Daniel cried.

“Ah…… Dr. Jackson, believe me the last thing we happen to be interested in is your relationship with General O’Neill. Don’t ask, don’t tell, no harm, no foul. All we really want is your co-operation on Haswari, anything else doesn’t even reach the table,” Tony earnestly leaned forward in his chair.

“Starting the show Boss,” McGee’s voiced announced as the small screen lit up with the series of surveillance photos of Daniel Jackson meeting Ari Haswari.

Following the final picture of the meeting Daniel Jackson gasped, his face paling. “Jack?” he asked, turning to O’Neill.

“Her name was Special Agent Katelyn Todd, and that round, Dr. Jackson, is courtesy of  
your friend, Ari Haswari,” Gibbs began as the picture of Kate alone was replaced with a split screen of the second autopsy photo of Kate with CIA obtained surveillance of Ari meeting with other Al Queda terrorists.

“Enough Special Agent Gibbs, enough,” Daniel whispered, his face paling with horror. “I can’t believe it, he was always so gentle, and such a caring soul……….Ari said he was here in DC meeting with his great uncle Hammed Roussim, an attaché to the Syrian embassy. We exchanged cell numbers, he said he was staying in Georgetown just off of the beltway. On a Magnolia Avenue, the townhouse belongs to some cousin or other. His mother’s side he said.”

“You’ve known him since your undergrad days, haven’t you?”

“No, since we were children. I was five, he was eleven the first time I remember meeting him. I could have met him earlier but I don’t remember. His father was an archeological liaison with the Ministry of Antiquities in Egypt. Nick was his father’s tutor at Oxford.”

“Nick, Dr. Jackson?” DiNozzo asked.

“Daniel’s maternal grandfather, Nicholas Ballard, also an archeologist. Nick has been away for several years, practically incommunicado and working on a long term project for us,’ O’Neill smoothly replied.

“What possible kind of long term project could an elderly archeologist be doing for a deep space telemetry project? Pull the other one O’Neill. If you’re involved in running a fancy telescope, then I never was in Bosnia,” Gibbs snorted, impassively meeting O’Neill’s challenging gaze. “I’m not really interested Jack, just don’t think that I’ve gone soft or stupid.”

“Never thought that you had ‘Thro, but 'eyes only' is still 'eyes only' and I have no clearance. These stars on my shoulders don’t mean I still don’t report higher up.”

“You mentioned that his father was, as in the past tense?” Gibbs continued, the staring match between him and O’Neill persisting. “Any other family members?”

“There is no close family left; they were killed in an extremist bombing in Algeria about 10 years ago, that’s why I find it so hard to believe that he joined Al-Queda,” Daniel rejoined. “When his family died Ari found it so hard to understand how even the most extreme religious militant could reconcile killing in the name of God.”

“DiNozzo, give them the rest of it.” Gibbs ordered.

“That we can’t answer Dr. Jackson, but in 1996 he was recruited by a militant, off shoot of the student union, just as he completed his doctorate in Political Science at Princeton. He was schooled in Damascus and sent to Jerusalem where he contacted the Musad, becoming an operative in 1998. Problem is he was working for the militants as a deep infiltrator. After 9-11, he continued working small jobs for Musad, handed over a few small time operatives. He was good enough to snow them and the spooks that they bought his proposal for long term infiltration of Al-Queda. He and his buddies were almost successful in dropping a dirty bomb on a pier in Norfolk where a carrier group was coming in from a 6 month deployment.” Tony paused, all expression fading from his face and voice. “He dropped Kate from a building 1500 metres away. I showered away her blood, bits of her skull and brain from my face and hair that night Dr. Jackson. I’m sorry that ultimately your friend is going to die, but we’re going to get him and nothing, nobody is going to stop us.”

“Jesus 'Thro, this kid is scary; he’s you all over again,” O’Neill joked, trying to insert some levity as the silence grew thicker again. “Daniel?”

“I won’t interfere Jack, I won’t tell Ari anything, even if he contacts me again,” Daniel said quietly. “But you all have to understand how hard this is for me, knowing what I just did. Knowing that one of you is going to be responsible for killing someone I care about. Someone with whom I had history with. He was the one who played with, carried around, and all in all looked after the demands and needs of a five year old, while my parents and his father were busy on a dig. A surrogate big brother. Another loss, another person I cared about, Jack, gone. If not now then soon and I’m going to be very directly responsible for that. I don’t have your military mind set, the way you can lock it away, and it hurts.”

“Filming ‘Thro?” O’Neill asked.

“End film, end interview,” Gibbs called out. “Technician stand down.”

===============================================================

Turning to Gibbs, O’Neill held out his hand, “I won’t say it was fun ‘Thro and I’m still pissed at you. Not for anything you did to me, cuffs included…. Should have remembered how kinky you can get. But for Daniel, he’s going to hurt from this for a very long time, and there was nothing I could do to prevent it. Take care, let me hear from you every now and again.”

“Unavoidable collateral damage Jack, and you know it. I may have saved him from something more permanent. Ari is that way, he’d have taken Jackson out without a qualm if necessary. You take care too, Flyboy. I like Jackson, you might even be good enough for him Jack,” Gibbs replied as the two old lovers clasped hands.

Going to his lover at the bottom of the stairs, the two men slowly walked to the naval limousine that awaited to transport them to their hotel, leaving Gibbs standing on the stairs of the NCIS office. “It’s going to take some time Jack, but I think that I would like to get to know Gibbs one day. Under the NCIS agent is a man who cares deeply Jack, a man very much like you,” Daniel said as he nodded to the Petty Officer holding open the car door.

“Yeah, ‘Thro’s special people alright, he’ll do what needs to be done. Get in Daniel, we need to get on with our work, same as Gibbs and DiNozzo need to get on with theirs,” O’Neill finished as they settled into their seats.

Looking over his shoulder Daniel turned back to see that DiNozzo had joined his superior on the stairs, both men standing as mirror images of the other, staring intently at their car. “I wonder what the future will bring them Jack. I certainly hope that it is some peace, and as big a chance for love as the one you brought me.”

the end.


End file.
